DAILY, WEEKEND, AND HOLIDAY INTERNET EVANGELIZE TO THE WORLD MINISTRY

Bread and Our Physical Needs Excerpt ‎When all our needs are met and all is well in our lives, we tend to take the credit for what we have, to feel that we carry our own load. We work hard to earn the money we need to buy food and clothes, pay our rent or mortgage. But even the hardest-working individual owes all he earns to God’s provision. Moses reminded Israel that God “is giving you power to make wealth” ( Deut. 8:18 ). ‎Our life, breath, health, possessions, talents, and opportunities all originate from resources God has created and made available to man. Everything we have is from God: It is He who brings the rain to make things grow, causes the seasons to change, produces the minerals that make the soil fertile, provides the natural resources we use to propel ourselves around, and provides the animals and plants from which we make our clothing and food. Our daily bread—the necessities of physical life—are all from God. …  More MacArthur, John F., Jr.  Alo...

Be Hospitable Excerpt Hospitality ( philazenos , “love of strangers” ) is a telltale virtue of the people of God. Paul told the Roman church to “Share with God’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality” ( Romans  12:13 ). “Practice” means “pursue” or “chase” and sometimes means “strenuous pursuit.” Christians, and especially leaders, are not simply to wait for opportunities for hospitality but are to pursue them. They are to do it “without grumbling,” as Peter says ( 1 Peter 4:9 ). Today’s elder must be a joyous host. He must invite people to his table. His home must be open. Hospitality is all over the New Testament. And the writer of Hebrews offers an enchanting motivation: “Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it” ( 13:2 ). These are God’s thoughts on hospitality!  More Hughes, R. Kent, and Bryan Chapell.  1 & 2 Timothy and Titus : To Guard the Deposit . Wheaton, IL: C...

The Angel Gabriel Luke 1:19 Excerpt A prominent angel. Gabriel reveals eschatological mysteries in  Dan. 8:15–26 ;  9:21–27  and announces the births of John the Baptist and Jesus in  Luke 1:11–20 ,  26–38 . The etymology of the name is disputed, meaning “God is my Warrior” or perhaps “Man of God.” Gabriel and Michael are the only two angels explicitly named in the OT. In the more developed angelology of Jewish apocalyptic traditions, they appear regularly together with Raphael and others as prominent archangels who stand in the presence of God ( 1 En. 9:1 ; 10:1–12 ; 1QM 9:14–16;  Luke 1:19 ; cf.  Rev. 8:2 ,  6 ). In Daniel Gabriel serves primarily as interpreter of visions and mysteries; in later apocalyptic sources his functions are more varied. In 1 Enoch he is identified as one of the holy angels whose role is to oversee the garden of Eden, the serpents and the cherubim ( 1 En. 20:7 ); in 10:9–10 he is sent in judgment against th...

The Symbol of Fire Exodus 3:2 Excerpt Fire  was a symbol of God’s presence, seen later when He descended upon Mount Sinai ( Ex.  19:18 ).  More Hannah, John D. “Exodus.”  The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures . Ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck. Vol. 1. Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985. 111. Print.

THURSDAY OF THE TWENTY-FIRST WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME Catholic Daily Readings First Reading  1 Th 3:7–13 Response  Ps 90:14 Psalm   Ps 90:3–5a ,  12–14 ,  17 Gospel Acclamation   Mt 24:42a ,  44 Gospel   Mt 24:42–51

THURSDAY BEFORE PROPER 17 Revised Common Lectionary Daily Readings Psalm  Ps 26:1–8  or  Ps 105:1–6 ,  23–26 ,  45b First Reading  Je 14:13–18  or  Ex 2:23–24 Second Reading  Eph 5:1–6

THURSDAY OF THE TWELFTH WEEK AFTER TRINITY, MORNING PRAYER Book of Common Prayer (1928) Daily Office Lectionary Psalm  Ps 92 First Reading  2 Sa 4:1 ,  5 ,  7–12 Second Reading  Lk 22:31–46

AIDAN, BISHOP OF LINDISFARNE, 651 Episcopal Church (USA) Revised Common Lectionary

August 31: Walking with Jesus Isaiah 65:1–66:24; Luke 24:13–53 ; Job 14:11–22 Imagine encountering Jesus on the road to Emmaus. It would be a surreal experience. You’re walking to the next town, and you start a conversation with a man beside you, only to find out later that you’ve been talking with the resurrected Son of God. Even more surreal, the topic of conversation up to your moment of discovery has been the death of the man walking with you ( Luke 24:13–35 ). I have often wondered what it would be like to meet Jesus face to face—to have Him explain to me how He exists in the biblical text from Moses, in all the prophets, and in all Scripture ( Luke 24:27 ). How different would my life be after that experience? Would I rethink everything I had known and heard—perhaps everything I do? Asking these questions is not only healthy, it also turns on our spiritual GPS. Are we on the path God has called us to? Have we strayed in one direction or another? Are we caught in some od...

Morning, August 31                     Go To Evening Reading “On mine arm shall they trust.” — Isaiah 51:5 In seasons of severe trial, the Christian has nothing on earth that he can trust to, and is therefore compelled to cast himself on his God alone. When his vessel is on its beam-ends, and no human deliverance can avail, he must simply and entirely trust himself to the providence and care of God. Happy storm that wrecks a man on such a rock as this! O blessed hurricane that drives the soul to God and God alone! There is no getting at our God sometimes because of the multitude of our friends; but when a man is so poor, so friendless, so helpless that he has nowhere else to turn, he flies into his Father’s arms, and is blessedly clasped therein! When he is burdened with troubles so pressing and so peculiar, that he cannot tell them to any but his God, he may be thankful for them; for he will learn more of his Lord then than...

August 31st My joy … your joy That My joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full. John 15:11 . What was the joy that Jesus had? It is an insult to use the word happiness in connection with Jesus Christ. The joy of Jesus was the absolute self-surrender and self-sacrifice of Himself to His Father, the joy of doing that which the Father sent Him to do. “I delight to do Thy will.” Jesus prayed that our joy might go on fulfilling itself until it was the same joy as His. Have I allowed Jesus Christ to introduce His joy to me? The full flood of my life is not in bodily health, not in external happenings, not in seeing God’s work succeed, but in the perfect understanding of God, and in the communion with Him that Jesus Himself had. The first thing that will hinder this joy is the captious irritation of thinking out circumstances. The cares of this world, said Jesus, will choke God’s word. Before we know where we are, we are caught up in the shows of things. All that G...

August 31 I would have you without carefulness 1 Cor. 7:32 Do not look forward to the changes and chances of this life in fear. Rather look to them with full hope that, as they arise, God, whose you are, will deliver you out of them. He has kept you hitherto—do you but hold fast to His dear hand, and He will lead you safely through all things; and when you cannot stand, He will bear you in His arms. Do not look forward to what may happen tomorrow. The same everlasting Father who cares for you today will take care of you tomorrow, and every day. Either He will shield you from suffering, or He will give you unfailing strength to bear it. Be at peace then, and put aside all anxious thoughts and imaginations. Francis de Sales  Hardman, Samuel G., and Dwight Lyman Moody. Thoughts for the Quiet Hour . Willow Grove, PA: Woodlawn Electronic Publishing, 1997. Print.

Naphtali’s Land Isaiah 9:1 Excerpt According to the prophet Isaiah ( Is 9:1 ), though the Lord had made Naphtali’s land contemptible, he would make it glorious once again. Matthew sees the fulfillment of this prophecy in the person of Christ, who brought the message of God’s kingdom to the Jews living in the region of Naphtali’s tribe ( Mt 4:13–15 ). In the book of Revelation ( Rv 7:6 ), 12,000 members of Naphtali’s tribe are included among the sealed multitude of Israel.  More Elwell, Walter A., and Philip Wesley Comfort.  Tyndale Bible  Dictionary  2001 : 936. Print. Tyndale Reference Library.

Jesus, the Son of Man Revelation 1:13–15 Excerpt An analysis of OT allusions in vv 13–15 shows that the predominant features of the Son of man are drawn from Daniel 7 and especially Daniel 10 , with other texts contributing secondarily to the depiction. Most commentators agree that the significance of this is that Christ is portrayed as a kingly and priestly figure, since the figure in the two Daniel texts has the same features.112 Part of Christ’s priestly role is to tend the lampstands. The OT priest would trim the lamps, remove the wick and old oil, refill the lamps with fresh oil, and relight those that had gone out.113 Likewise, Christ tends the ecclesial lampstands by commending, correcting, exhorting, and warning ( see chs. 2–3 ) in order to secure the churches’ fitness for service as lightbearers in a dark world.  More Beale, G. K.  The Book of Revelation : A Commentary on the Greek Text . Grand Rapids, MI; Carlisle, Cumbria: W.B. Eerdmans; Paternoster...

The True Nature of Love 1 John 4:7–9 Excerpt God has loved us in a way that has given us life. The atoning death of Jesus provides the means by which believers come into a life-giving realm where love is received and expressed ( Jn 3:16 ). We do not simply gaze at the painting on the wall; we are touched by the hand of God and given life-giving love. And, third, because life and love come from God, it is God’s activity and not our own behavior and efforts that defines the essence of love.  More Thompson, Marianne Meye.  1–3 John . Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1992. Print. The IVP New Testament Commentary Series.

The Temptation of Jesus Excerpt We may be certain that the story was also told for its exemplary features in order to encourage Christians facing temptation and to indicate to them how to recognise and overcome it. They are to note that in each case Jesus replies to temptation with a quotation from Scripture , thereby indicating that the life of the man of God must follow certain clear principles expressive of God’s will which have already been revealed in the OT . It has been argued that this reduces the story to the level of a rabbinic  Streitgespräch  in which Jesus overcomes the devil by a superior knowledge of Scripture (cf. Bultmann, 271–275), but the point is rather that Jesus is obedient to God’s will in Scripture (H. Seesemann, TDNT  VI,  23-36 , especially  34-36  and n.  68 ), and not that he wins by superior dialectical skill.  More Marshall, I. Howard.  The Gospel of Luke : A Commentary on the Greek Text . Exeter: Pat...

WEDNESDAY OF THE TWENTY-FIRST WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME Catholic Daily Readings First Reading  1 Th 2:9–13 Response  Ps 139:1 Psalm  Ps 139:7–12b Gospel Acclamation  1 Jn 2:5 Gospel   Mt 23:27–32

WEDNESDAY AFTER PROPER 16 Revised Common Lectionary Daily Readings Psalm  Ps 18:1–3 ,  20–32  or  Ps 8 First Reading  Is 28:14–22  or  Ex 2:15b–22 Second Reading  Mt 26:6–13

WEDNESDAY OF THE TWELFTH WEEK AFTER TRINITY, MORNING PRAYER Book of Common Prayer (1928) Daily Office Lectionary Psalm   Ps 87 ;  101 First Reading  2 Sa 1:17 Second Reading  Lk 22:14–30

August 30: Dawning of a New Era Isaiah 63:1–64:12; Luke 23:26–24:12 ; Job 14:1–10 Jesus’ resurrection brings a new era. Although Jesus told His disciples and loved ones that He would suffer, die, and be raised on the third day ( Luke 9:22 ), they didn’t fully comprehend His promise. The women preparing fragrant spices and perfumes for a burial ritual fully expected to find Jesus’ body in the tomb. Instead, at the dawn of the first day of the week, they found the stone rolled away and the tomb empty. The women were perplexed by their discovery, but the angels challenged them, reminding them of Jesus’ promise: “Why are you looking for the living among the dead? He is not here, but has been raised! Remember how he spoke to you while he was still in Galilee, saying that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of men who are sinners, and be crucified, and on the third day rise?” ( Luke 24:5–7 ). Jesus’ resurrection presents new hope for the disciples and those who believe...

Morning, August 30                     Go To Evening Reading “Wait on the Lord.” — Psalm 27:14 It may seem an easy thing to wait, but it is one of the postures which a Christian soldier learns not without years of teaching. Marching and quick-marching are much easier to God’s warriors than standing still. There are hours of perplexity when the most willing spirit, anxiously desirous to serve the Lord, knows not what part to take. Then what shall it do? Vex itself by despair? Fly back in cowardice, turn to the right hand in fear, or rush forward in presumption? No, but simply wait. Wait in prayer , however. Call upon God, and spread the case before him; tell him your difficulty, and plead his promise of aid. In dilemmas between one duty and another, it is sweet to be humble as a child, and wait with simplicity of soul upon the Lord. It is sure to be well with us when we feel and know our own folly, and are heartily willing t...

August 30th Am I convinced by Christ? Notwithstanding in this rejoice not …, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven. Luke 10:19 , 20 . Jesus Christ says, in effect, Don’t rejoice in successful service, but rejoice because you are rightly related to Me. The snare in Christian work is to rejoice in successful service, to rejoice in the fact that God has used you. You never can measure what God will do through you if you are rightly related to Jesus Christ. Keep your relationship right with Him, then whatever circumstances you are in, and whoever you meet day by day, He is pouring rivers of living water through you, and it is of His mercy that He does not let you know it. When once you are rightly related to God by salvation and sanctification, remember that wherever you are, you are put there by God; and by the reaction of your life on the circumstances around you, you will fulfil God’s purpose, as long as you keep in the light as God is in the light. The ...

August 30 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world 1 John 2:15 If you will go to the banks of a little stream, and watch the flies that come to bathe in it, you will notice that, while they plunge their bodies into the water, they keep their wings high out of the water; and, after swimming about a little while, they fly away with their wings unwet through the sunny air. Now, that is the lesson for us. Here we are immersed in the cares and business of the world; but let us keep the wings of our soul, our faith and our love, out of the world, that, with these unclogged, we may be ready to take our flight to Heaven. J. Inglis  Hardman, Samuel G., and Dwight Lyman Moody. Thoughts for the Quiet Hour . Willow Grove, PA: Woodlawn Electronic Publishing, 1997. Print.

Bloodguiltiness Excerpt “Bloodguiltiness” refers to Uriah’s blood on David’s hands, for it was David who ordered his death ( 2 Sam.  11:6ff ; see  Ezek. 3:18–20 ;  18:13 ; Acts 20:26 ).  More Wiersbe, Warren W.  Be Worshipful . 1st ed. Colorado Springs, CO: Cook Communications Ministries, 2004. Print. “Be” Commentary Series.

Purposes of His Prayer Philippians 1:10 Excerpt Paul stated two purposes for his prayer. The first is a near purpose:  to discern what is best;  and the second is a remote one: to  be pure and blameless until the day of Christ.  The idea of testing is clearly in view in the Greek word  dokimazō ,  translated “discern.” The testing is with a view to approving. The word was used in testing metals and coins, to determine whether they met the specified standards.  More Lightner, Robert P. “ Philippians .”   The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures . Ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck. Vol. 2. Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985. 650. Print.

The Feast of Passover Excerpt The Passover was the major feast celebrated at the beginning of the Jewish year, Nisan 15, which falls in our month of March or April (Fitzmyer 1981:339–40). Only men were required to make the journey, so Mary’s presence shows her commitment (Preisker 1964:373). Jerusalem was eighty miles from Nazareth, so the trip would take three days. Though some have argued that women and children traveled separately from the men as a way to explain how Jesus got lost, there is no ancient text that describes this practice.  More Bock, Darrell L.  Luke . Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1994. Print. The IVP New Testament Commentary Series.